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Maine Coon
Photo By pantherhill.com
Description
The Maine Coon is the largest
breed of domestic cat, with males weighing 15 to 25 pounds and females weighing
10 to 15. The Maine Coon is sweet and typically friendly. One of the most
readily identifiable features of the breed is its ears which are large and wide
with long tufts coming out of them. The body is muscular and solid with a broad
chest, which is necessary to support its girth. Maine Coons possess a
rectangular body shape and are slow to physically mature; their full potential
size is normally not reached until they are three to five years old, while
other cats to only about one year. This breed is a ling haired, or medium
haired cat. The coat is soft, silky and water-repellent, though the texture may
vary with the color. The length is shorter on the head and shoulders and longer
on the stomach and flanks with some cats having a lion-like ruff around the
neck that resembles a mane. Maine Coons can come in any color that other breeds
can which suggest hybridization. All eye colorization is accepted by breed
standardization with the exceptions of blue and odd eyes (two eyes of different
color), in cats possessing coat colors other than white.
Origin
The ancestral origins of the
Maine Coon are unknown, but these cats have inhabited America for centuries,
going as far back as the early colonial period. There have been many myth and
tales as to the genesis of the breed, from the impossible of it being a cross
breed of a cat and a raccoon to Marie Antoinette’s Turkish Angoras, being the
foundation for the Maine Coon, having set them on her escape ship (which she
was unable to make) leaving from France to the United States. The real truth is
probably closer to the latter. Ship captains often traveled aboard their
vessels with cats in an attempt to control the population of mice, which
rampant due to food stores. On their arrival the may have made their home on
the northeast coast of Maine. With the climate being what it was only the most
durable of felines would have been able to survive, passing on genes that would
have been conducive to survival in those conditions. The Maine Coon is one of the first breeds to
be officially recognized in the early nineteenth century. In 1860s, Maine
farmers told stories about their cats and held the “Maine State Champion Coon
Cat” contest at the local Skowhegan Fair. The Maine Coon experienced a drop in
popularity in the early twentieth century due to the introduction of other long
haired breed, such as the Persian, but has since made resurgence and are one of
the most popular breeds today with championship status in all associations.
Compatibility
Often referred to as the gentle
giant, the Maine Coon is one of those cats that gets along with everyone, even
other and dogs. They are a sociable breed who loves their family, but isn’t
demanding of their attention. Although the Maine Coon is often wary of
strangers initially, it will grow accustom to them if given time. It’s docile, obedient
and attracted to water and may just help you with the dishes of watering the
lawn. Maine Coon’s have been known for being taught to walk on a leash, playing
fetch. They have not lost their ability for pest control either, so if you live
on a farm or ranch, their ability a excellent mousers will come in handy. But
even if rodent are not a concern of yours, a Maine Coon would be just as happy
honing its skills preying on a chase toy such as squeaky mouse, ball or wad of
crumpled. Maine coons’ vocalization
range from meows to purrs to chirping noises, making them very expressive both
verbally as well as with their body language.
The Breed’s lush luxurious coat, due to its silky texture is not prone
to matting the way other thick coated breeds are, but it still needs regular
grooming, with a steel brush or comb once to twice a week. Take care of the
ears, claws and teeth when needed and your Maine Coon will be happy and keep
you happy and entertained with its silliness playful behavior.
Health
The Maine Coon life span ranges
from 10 t0 13 years of age. They are generally a healthy and hardy breed who has
adapted to survive the harsh New England climate. The most severe threat is
feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (common heart disease seen in cats). Another
potential health concern is Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), another genetically
inherited disease which caused muscle atrophy and muscle weakness.
Source
cattime.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from cattime.com.
pawnation.
(n.d.). Retrieved from pawnation.com
vetstreet. (n.d.). Retrieved from vetstreet.com
wikipedia.
(n.d.). Retrieved from wikipedia.org
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